Devon Haskell Prevails over Amanda Carey in Masters Women’s 30-34 National Championship UPDATE: Photos

Devon Haskell leads the charge. © Janet Hill

For full Cyclocross National Championships coverage and information, visit our 2010 USA Cycling National Championships Page.

The women’s 30-34 race offered an exciting tit-for-tat trade between eventual winner Devon Haskell (Team Tibco/To the Top) and Amanda Carey (Kenda). From the gun the two quickly separated, along with Andrea Smith (Minuteman Road Club), from the rest of the group, making it clear that the rest of the racers were battling for third. Carey’s pro mountain biking skills were apparent as she gained ground in the technical sections, but Haskell’s power continued to neutralize Carey on the boggy straights.

“It was a tough race,” said Haskell. “I had a really tough competitor so I couldn’t let up. It went better than I expected – you can’t expect a win in cyclocross. This win was definitely the sweetest – I had to work hardest for it. It was really fun, the mud was great; the course had a little bit of everything. I had a little bobble on the last barriers, but it worked out.”

“It was a good race, a good battle – and you always prefer to have a good battle,” said Carey. “We broke off into three right off the bat, I knew it was going to be a battle right away. At one point I got a gap, a good healthy gap. But I came up over the hill and completely took myself out, right over my bars and into the tape. Devon caught me right away. I was trying to be sneaky and take tighter lines, but this course just sucks the power out of you, and I was getting more and more tired and getting away with those sneaky lines less and less. I caught her with two to go on the back hill, which I was going to ride but she got off and we ran into each other. She got back on her bike faster and that’s where the gap happened. Devon’s amazing, she rode a really good race and really put the hurt on me on the flats.”

With that final gap, Haskell was able to maintain, and then extend, her lead over Carey, and the former collegiate champion was able to enjoy her National Title with hands raised.

Early on, Andrea Smith  was able to hang on to the leaders but eventually found her own pace in no-man’s-land, holding a secured third position for the majority of the race and crossing the line ready to take that position on the podium.

The big battle came behind, with Emily Thurston (3^rd Rail Cycling Club/Missing Link Bicycle Co-op), Nicole Thiemann (Teac Cf-Mass/Team Cf-Elite) and Crystal Anthony (Minuteman Road Club) all battling hard for the last two spots on the podium. Ultimately, Thurston dropped the other two and nearly caught Smith in the process, narrowly missing third place by four seconds. Thiemann was able to get clear of Anthony to take the final podium spot.

Gallery by Janet Hill: